Former President Bill Clinton on
Tuesday endorsed an effort to make Illinois the 13th state
to legalize gay marriage.
“Our nation's permanent mission is to
form a 'more perfect union' – deepening the meaning of freedom,
broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of
community,” Clinton said in a statement released by Illinois Unites
for Marriage. “That mission has inspired and empowered us to
extend rights to people previously denied them. Every time we have
done that, it has strengthened our nation. Now we should do it
again, in Illinois, with marriage equality.”
“Since the days of Abraham Lincoln,
Illinois has stood for the proposition that all citizens should be
treated equally under the law. Lincoln himself came to Springfield
in search of opportunity, and he dedicated his life to securing equal
opportunity for all citizens. I believe that for Illinois and for
our nation as a whole, in the 21st century that must
include marriage equality.”
Clinton is the second president to
endorse the effort in Illinois. Last year, President
Barack Obama lent his support.
(Related: Gay
marriage supporters in Illinois say they have the votes.)